Room
by CrushCreamSoda
Summary: To his Ma, this place is a nightmare. But to James, Room is his whole life, and things like trees and the sea are not real. What happens when his Ma can't take it anymore and James' world gets flipped upside down? (Rated T for some in-between the lines mature themes. And I do not own anything,)
1. Birthday

**[AN: This story is heavily inspired by the book Room by Emma Donoghue, I highly suggest you read it. It's amazingly written. You'll notice a lot of the same parts from the book and from the motion picture as well. But I do plan to bring a little originality to this plot. I obviously don't own anything, not Danny Phantom and not Room. I really hope you guys like it!]**

* * *

Today I am five.

That means five times ago, I was floating in outer space until Ma plucked me out of the sky. I zoomed down from outer space, through skylight, into Room. And began kicking Ma from the inside. **BOOM**. **BOOM**. Then I came out onto Rug with my eyes wide open and Ma said, "Hello James."

Ma says before I happened, she was sad and cried and cried and watched TV all day, until she was a zombie. Now the rule is: Only TV for one hour.

I open my eyes and look over to Ma, she's Off right now. I move my hair out of my face and whisper, "Ma, I'm Five." It takes two seconds and Ma is switched On. She opens her eyes, purple like always, and smiles at me.

"I'm so old now!" I say at her.

"You're such a big boy now."

She grabbed me and pulled me on top of her. I laughed cause her hair tickled me. It's dark and long, just like mine, except Ma's is much longer. Her's is just a few down from her shoulders, a little above her elbows.

I shoot up from Bed, **SWOOSH** , since it's morning. Ma says we can't stay in Bed all day cause then our bones will turn to jelly.

Lamp is closest to Bed so I tell her good morning first. Then Plant, who is next to Lamp on Nightstand, to get light. Her leaves are starting to come off. Underneath Bed is Egg Snake, I tell him good morning too.

"Good morning Rug." She is all kinds of colors except for the part that's all dark and grey from the stain I spilt by accident getting born.

"Good Morning Wardrobe. Good Morning TV. Good Morning Sink. Good Morning Toilet. Good Morning Everyone." I go around Room and touch them to wake them up.

"Okay, time for breakfast."

Ma sets Bowl on Table. Then she goes to Thermostat to hot the air. I don't think He came last night. The air is always different when He comes. I don't ask because Ma doesn't like saying about Him. I walk around her to Table.

"It's my birthday I'm five."

"Okay I get it."

I take Chair number one closer to Bed, and Ma takes chair number two closer to Fridge and Door. Door's the tall of Room and goes **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP**. after nine when I should be switched Off.

"Here, take your vitamin. It's the last one." Ma hands me Vitamin and when I grab to take it I see the time on Watch on Ma's left arm. 10:58.

Vitamin is hard and not very good, but today's breakfast is cereal. That should make the taste away. I watch Ma take a big spoonful of cereal without spilling like I used to when I was Four. Ma makes a grunt sound and touches the left of her cheek.

"Is Bad Tooth hurting?" Dumbo Bad Tooth is always hurting Ma. She says it's rotting cause she didn't take care of her teeth. She promises to never do it again, but some are still all rotted.

"Mhhmm." She hums a sound that means yes and puts a finger to her forehead. "But... mind over matter right?" Ma is always right.

"If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!" I point at her and she does a smile at me.

"You're right." She says. I guess now that I'm Five I can be right too. "Hey, do you know what we're gonna do today?" Ma is still smiling, lots and lots. I ask her what.

"We're going to make a birthday cake." Her eyebrows go up a little and she's still smiling.

"A birthday cake?" Ma hums the yes again. "Like from TV?" How's Ma gonna make a birthday cake from TV?

"Yes, but for real." A birthday cake for real sounds to good to be real.

"No Way." Ma's smile never goes down so she can't be tricking me. That's when I start smiling extra lots.

Ma does a silly laugh and starts eating her cereal again. During breakfast we play Hum. I start first since it's my birthday. I hum " _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star._ " Ma guesses right away. She gets a kiss. She starts humming and I guess " _She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain_." I get a kiss too. I'm the best in the family at this game.

* * *

We brush our teeth after breakfast and Ma double checks to make sure I'm doing it right. She doesn't want my teeth to go all rotted like hers.

"Lemme see." I show Ma my smile like a vampire. "You're teeth, they're so shiny! They're dazzling me!" Ma puts a hand over her eyes and looks away. Silly Ma.

Next, Ma gets clothes out of Wardrobe for us to change out of our night clothes. Why there's clothes only for night, and only for day?

Ma starts cleaning up Room while I get to sit and watch TV for one hour cause that's the rule. I grab TV remote and flick through all the planets. Some are fuzzy and grey that hurts our eyes if stared at too long. Ma likes the wildlife planet with all the animals. I keep flicking until I see Dora The Explorer. She's my favorite since she's the only one who listens. I run up to TV to give Dora a hug and tell her about my super powers now that I'm Five. i almost don't see Ma stop to look at me when I tell Dora how cool my powers are.

After one show Ma shuts off TV cause it could rot our brain cells. But we get them back through the day in time to watch another show after Dinner. Sometimes shows on TV scare me and I hide behind Ma's fingers, which are twice the long as mine.

Nothing ever scares Ma. Except Him maybe. I don't even really remember the name of Him, something that starts with 'V'; mostly we just don't say about Him. He comes in the night, after 9 and sometimes brings us things from TV by magic. I asked Ma once is he old and she says he's nearly double her, which is pretty old.

"Can't I watch one more, it's my birthday, I'm five."

"Too much TV is bad, you know the rule." Ma moves over to the side of Wardrobe. "How about we check your height now Mr. Five?."

"Only if you call me Mr. Five again!"

"OK Mr. Five, lets see how much you've grown." We both giggle.

I stand next to Wardrobe who's all brown and faded. Ma marks a line above my head on one of Wall's squishy tiles. There are other marks lower of that one from when I was Four then Three then Two and One.

 _"Was I ever minus numbers?" I asked Ma once._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Like 0, then minus one, minus two?"_

 _"No, the numbers only started after you zoomed down from outer space."_

 _"And then happened in your tummy!"_

 _"Yup, then you started kicking me from the inside and i thought, '_ James is on his way! _'" Ma bumped her shirt up and down to show me kicking. I always laugh at that part. Silly Ma_.

Ma only draws on the tile for height. One time I scribbled on a different tile and Ma got mad and said, "Now we have to live with that forever."

"I'm gonna grow so big until I'm a giant!" I tell Ma. Ma's way taller than me, but she says I'll catch up.

"Yeah, you are." Ma is moving Furniture all way to make space in the middle to play in. While I jump super high on Bed.

"I'm going to be James the Giant, Giant Killer! And burst out of Skylight, to outer space with my dog Max!" Max is my pet dog, but I don't have him for real, yet. Maybe when I'm older.

"We'll **BOING! BOING! BOING!** between all the planets!"

"Alright time for some Stretch." Ma moved Table and Chairs, and Carpet cause the floor is grippier and so we could have more space. We both stand in the middle reaching high, high up. Almost touching Skylight, but not really. Then we reach down, our hands between our legs spread apart. Ma does a laugh and I look up to her. She just puts her forehead on mine and smiles.

We do more stretches to our legs and arms, until it's time for Track.

"I bet I can do there-and-back's in sixteen steps!"

"Wow, when you were four you did it in eighteen steps didn't you? C'mon lets see what you got."

I run to one side of wall until I touch her tiles, then run back to other side. **VROOM!** I can hear Ma counting.

"Faster James you got this!" I swoosh past her again. I start going faster, almost like I'm flying like a superhero, until Ma grabs my shoulders.

"OK calm down you'll hurt yourself James." I'm breathing hard, my chest bumping up and down, but I don't feel tired. I look up at Ma, she smiles but not really.

* * *

We start to make the cake. I bet it's gonna be _delicioso_ with candles the same number as me and on fire like I've never seen for real. I crack an egg on the side of Bowl, just perfectly so it doesn't break into tiny pieces. I'm the best in the family at cracking eggs. I put the egg into Bowl. We're using her to make the cake Ma promised was real.

"Alright that looks good."

"That's the batter?"

"Just a part of it, now we're gonna add butter. Look at all that." Ma shows me another bowl with butter in it, and another with flour.

"Ooo, butter!" It sounds funny to say. Ma starts to smash all the things together.

"Now we just gotta... stir... it all... together." Ma drops Spoon into Bowl. "How about... you do that. Do you think you can... handle that."

Ma hides her hand behind her back. It must be her sprained wrist, but I don't say about it. I just stir all the batter together until it gets smooth and Ma says stop.

After Ma puts the cake into Toaster Oven, I wash the pots and bowls in Sink since Ma's wrist it hurting. She won't say about why it got hurt, and I don't ask.

* * *

"Alright, here it comes! Cover your eyes James."

I sit at Table and put my hands over my eyes like Ma says. I feel her coming and I peek a little between my fingers, but I cover them up again as she gets closer.

"Abracadabra." I open my eyes and Ma is kneeling next me. I look at Table and see the cake. Yellow at the bottom and white icing at the top. On the top there's the number 5 drawn into the icing. I smile. A cake for real, but it's missing one thing.

"Now the candles!" I say to Ma. She doesn't say anything so I look at her. She's smiling but not really again.

"We don't have any candles." She says, looking away from me. I frown and look at the cake. "I know I'm sorry."

"You said a birthday cake for real. That means candles on fire." I get a tingly feeling in my eyes. I thought Ma wasn't tricking me.

"James..." She looks in my eyes. "... it's okay without the candles, it's still a birthday cake."

"You should've asked for candles for Sunday Treat, not dumb jeans." Sunday Treat is when He brings us things Ma asked for. Like the chocolates we got for Christmas, or food for Ma to cook. I don't know where he gets the treats. Maybe from the TV by magic.

Ma's face changes. She doesn't look happy anymore.

"I'm sorry. You know that I have to ask for stuff we _actually_ need. Stuff he can get easily."

"But He gets anything! By magic!" Ma doesn't understand. All she has to do is ask. My eyes get tingly again.

"Why don't we try your cake."

"No." Ma closes her eyes.

"James... let's try a bite of it-"

"I SAID NO!" Ma looks away from me. I can see her but not really. There's wetness on my face. I didn't want to yell, but Ma shouldn't have lied. She said a birthday cake for real.

Ma stays quiet. She pulls me into a hug and puts her head on top of mine. I rub away the wetness.

"Next week when I turn six, you better ask for real candles." I move away from her. She's looking down and I can't see her face until she moves her hair behind her ear. Ma opens her eyes and looks down at the floor.

"You mean.. next year." She closes her eyes again.

* * *

My cake was the best thing I ever tasted. It's getting dark out. Skylight is sucking all the light away, she's nearly all black.

"It's the spring equinox." Ma says looking up at Skylight. "I remember I heard it on the TV the day you were born. There was still snow that day too." Ma says all quiet but I still hear her.

"What's equinox?"

"It's means equal. When there's equal parts light and dark." She's still looking up at Skylight. I look at Watch and it's 7:30. Time for bath.

I lay with Ma in the tub, on top of her chest. It's funny cause I go up and down when she breathes. She washes the soap out of my long hair, her fingers tickle. I grab the shirts and wash them in the tub. Ma says it saves water if us and our clothes take a bath at the same time.

After bath at 8:30 Ma hangs the clothes so they can dry in the night while we're sleeping. I ask her if i can have some since it's my birthday and we lay down on bed, Ma lifts up her shirt and I have lots. I can feel Ma put her fingers in my hair and she tells me a bedtime story. This is the bestest birthday ever.

* * *

Ma starts getting Wardrobe ready for me to sleep in. She makes it all nice and cozy, but I only have to be in there in case He comes.

"Can I have more birthday cake?"

"Tomorrow."

"Just a bite?"

"We brushed our teeth already James." Ma's watch starts beeping. 9:00. I'm supposed to be sleeping.

"Please just one more story." I wasn't tired yet.

"It's getting late James, let's get to bed." I breathe out air and go to lay down in Wardrobe. If I lay straight, the top of my head and the bottom of my feet touch Wardrobe. Ma sticks her head in, her black hair falling over her purple eyes.

"Three kisses?"

"No, five for Mr. Five." She smiles and gives me five kisses.

"Okay goodnight." She shuts Wardrobe's doors. I can still see through the slats. Light coming through to the inside. I hear Ma taking the killers. Two at night always, for the pain. I can hear Bed squeak as she gets on.

"Why I'm always hided away?" I whisper. I wonder if Ma can hear me.

"I just don't want him looking at you. Even when you were a baby, I would wrap you up in a blanket so He could never see you."

"Would it hurt?"

"Would what hurt?"

"If He looked at me."

"No, go to sleep now." The bed squeaks again as Ma moves.

"Do the bugs." I tell Ma.

"Night-night, sleep tight, don't let the bugs bite." I hear a click and the light go out at the same time. I shut my eyes real tight so I can be switched off faster. I wonder if Ma is switched off already. And I hope the bugs don't come to suck my blood.

* * *

I feel the air change before I hear the Door. Cold air. Then, **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** I get switched on and see a little bit of light coming into Wardrobe. Door goes a loud **SWOOSH**. He's here.

I hear the plastic bags.

"Grapes, and canned pears." His voice is deep. I look around wardrobe. At my picture of Dora the Explorer. I should not be up right now, Ma would be upset.

"What is this? A birthday cake?" I sit up in Wardrobe and try to be as quiet as a mouse, like from the TV with the cat who's a big meanie. "Should've told me. I would've got him a present. How is he coming along?"

I look through the slats. He has long white hair, tied up like mine sometimes. He takes off his pants and walks towards bed. I hear Lamp click and then there's no light.

I lay back down and count 37 bed squeaks before I switch off again.

* * *

 _There's room. Then Outer space, with all the TV planets. Then Heaven._

 _Plant it real. But not trees._

 _Spiders are real. And one time the mosquito that was sucking my blood._

 _But Squirrels and Dogs, are just TV. Except Max. He's my dog that might come some day._

 _Monsters are too big to be real, and the sea._

 _The TV persons are flat, and made of colors. But me and you are real._

 _I don't know if_ He's _real. Maybe half._

* * *

I feel Ma pick me up from Wardrobe but I'm too tired to open my eyes. She puts me down in bed and then lays next to me.

"Goodnight James. I love you." I hear Ma whisper in my ear.

I hear Lamp click off again. And feel Ma's warm next to me as I switch off.

* * *

 **[Annnnd there's chapter 1! Can y'all guess who's who yet? Let me know what you guys think or if i should even continue. The story will all be told in the perspective of James, if he doesn't sound too childlike let me know. He's supposed to be pretty bright since his Ma has nothing but time to teach him things.]**


	2. Mouse

Now I'm five plus one day.

Ma is cutting an apple for a snack. I'm the best at planning activites, and Ma is the best at planning meals. I'm sitting in Tub, next to Ma by the counter. She hands me one half of the apple and the other half is for her.

I look at Ma, she has her fingers in her mouth. She pulls something out.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's Bad Tooth." She shows it to me. I reach my hand out and she gives it to me to look at. Teeth look funny. It's yellowy with black specs on it and some of Ma's blood.

"Wow." The only time my blood ever came out of me was when the mosquito was eating it. It looks cool but I hope my teeth never ever fall out.

* * *

Ma's taking a nap, there's not much to do when she's off. I lay down on Rug and look up at Skylight. Not much to see, just light. I turn over on my stomach and touch Rug's scraggly zig-zags when I hear, **SCRITCH. SCRATCH.** I look to see where the noise is coming from.

There's a mouse, eating the crumbs from the floor. I've never seen a mouse for real before. It moves closer to fridge. I get up very quietly, I don't want to scare him. I grab a couple of crumbs from my cake that's gone crunchy, and put some on the floor for him. Maybe Mouse can be my friend. A real friend. He starts coming closer to the crumbs. He has a little nose and hands. He looks so nice.

I reach my hand out to touch him, and then a book comes and tries to squish him. I get scared and see him run away. I look to see Ma coming to me.

"You made him gone!" I screamed. She starts to cover up the mouse hole where he ran away. How will he come back to play? "He was a live thing! He was real!" I feel my eyes get tingly again. Ma stops to look at me.

"He would've stolen our food."

"Mouse can have my food, I'm not hungry!" Ma grabs tin foil and covers up the hole more.

"He would've brought in germs, and bit us in our sleep. Making us sick and die."

I breathe out air and look down.

"Mouse is my friend. And you splattered him dead."

"No I didn't. He's hunky dory." How he can be hunky dory?

"Are you tricking me?" I ask Ma. She also breathes out air.

"No James I promise, He is safe at home in the backyard with his Ma."

What?

"What backyard?" Ma breaths out air again and rubs her hands on her eyes. "Mouse lives in a backyard in TV?"

How did he get in Room? Why did Mouse leave his planet?

"Here why don't you make a UFO out of this." Ma gives me the tin foil. I throw it on the floor. I remember about what He said when He came last night.

"Why you didn't tell Him it was birthday?" I ask Ma.

"Because He's not our friend."

"But He said he would bring me a present." I say not knowing I was gonna say it. Ma gets up.

"You're not supposed to be listening to that, you're supposed to be asleep." Ma's voice isn't nice anymore and she sits down on Bed. Her hands go to her head.

"I've never had a present." I look to the hole that Mouse ran through, now covered up with tin foil.

"Well he didn't mean it."

"It might be my dog, Max."

"James! We can't have a dog. There's not enough room- space! There's not enough space, with the barking and the scratching!" Ma voice gets louder.

"Max won't scratch! He promises." I stand up.

"THERE IS NO MAX." I feel my eyes get tingly again.

"YES THERE IS!" I yell back. Why would Ma say Max is not real!?

"NO. THERE'S. NOT. You made him up in your head! He's not real!"

I feel wetness on my face. I put my hands to my eyes but more wet keeps coming out.

"James." Ma's purple eyes are open wide. She gets up and comes to me. "James, I'm sorry." Her voice isn't loud anymore. It sounds shaky. She picks me up but I don't move. She carries me to Bed and sits down. I feel her put her head on mine.

"I'm sorry James. You're right."

I keep my hands covering my eyes, wetness still goes down my cheeks. Ma rocks me back and forth and I hear her breathe out very long.

If mouse can be real, so can my dog Max. Now that I'm five, I can be right too.

* * *

Skylight is dark. Me and Ma are watching TV. She mutes the commercials cause she says they rot our brains faster. We took the eggs shells that we used to make my cake and now we're adding them to Egg Snake. He has a needle tongue and we have to be very careful so the eggshells don't fall apart.

"Where do we go when we're asleep?" I ask Ma. She finishes putting the eggshell through the needle and slides it all the way down to join the other ones.

"Right here in Room."

"But dreams? Can we go into TV for dreaming?"

"MMmm." She hums a 'No' sound. "We're never anywhere but here."

I ask Ma if i can have some. She lifts up her shirt and lets me, from the left this time.

Ma's watch beeps. Time for bed. I'm sorry I had to yell at Ma today. And I hope Mouse is okay.

* * *

 **[Short lil chapter. I don't own anything.]**


	3. Scream

I wake up and Ma's already switched on. I don't like when I'm off and she's on. I look up at Skylight. She's kinda dark and kinda light and has little clear specks on her. Ma's sitting at Table and there's something on the top of it. I jump up out of bed. It looks like a present! Maybe he came in the night and brought it for me by magic!

I run to Table. There's Truck trapped in a package, like from TV commercials with the kids playing with cool toys!

"Can I open it?"

"Mmhmm." Ma hums the sound for yes.

I free Truck from it's package. He's red and has a remote for controlling it. I put it on the floor and start driving it around. Truck probably goes faster than me! I make him go under Bed, then back out. Truck goes under table and I accidentally hit Ma's foot. I drive Truck all over Room so he can meet everyone. I'm happy Truck is my new friend.

I look at Ma and she has her fingers to her head. Maybe she ran out of killers. She takes them for the pain in her head and hand. But never more than two, that's the rule. Cause some things are good for you, but too much of a thing can be bad.

* * *

It's time for Scream. We do Scream one day every week at 3. Ma says that maybe one day if we scream loudest, the Aliens will come and visit us. Aliens will be cool, but scary if they try to take away me and Ma from Room and eat our brains. Ma says that's only zombies.

Me and Truck stand on Bed to get close to Vent where the air comes out, and Ma stands on Chair to get close to Skylight. On Ceileng there's funny shaped tiles that look like mountains, but I can't touch them, not even standing from Bed. When Ma counts to three we all scream as loud as we can.

"One. Two... Three."

We start screaming super loud. Ma said it's good to scream from your stomach, but how I scream from my stomach? We keep screaming until we can't no more and then wait quietly to see if the aliens hear. Nothing happens.

"Why the aliens never scream back?" I ask Ma. She's still looking up at Skylight.

"I guess they still can't hear us."

"We'll do even louder okay?" Ma looks at me and ups and downs her head.

"Okay. One... two... three."

And we scream again, this time louder then ever, but the aliens still never come.

* * *

"Look Ma it's attacking me!" I throw Truck on Bed and control him so he moves away.

"Oh no!" Ma looks away from making Snack.

"I got him!" I jump on top of Truck and then try to control it to run away, but Truck drives to my arm and the tires squeeze my skin together. "OW!" I push Truck away and look at my elbow where I felt hurt. There's no blood. But it still hurts.

I breathe out and then I smell something stinky. I breathe in to smell it again.

"Ma, what smells bad?"

"Shit." Ma quickly goes to Toaster Oven and opens its door.

I walk over to Ma and she's taking out a piece of bread. The bread is all black and there's something coming out of Toaster Oven. The smell is so gross and hurts my head.

"Ew." I say and stick my tongue out. Ma moves away from Toaster Oven and put her hands over her face and screams into them.

Time for Scream is over, I almost said, but kept it a secret.

* * *

Ma's watch beeped 9:00 a long time ago. I'm in Wardrobe but I can't switch off. I wonder if Ma is switched off. I can see light from Lamp through the slats of Wardrobe, but I don't hear anything. I take Truck and hold him in the air, he makes airplane noises even though he is a truck. Then I crash him down to my chest and make an explosion sound. I almost miss hearing Door go **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** _SWOOSH_. Then cold air. I stop moving so I don't make any sound.

"What's that smell?" I can hear Him say.

"Sorry, I burnt some bread." Ma says. I sit up in Wardrobe quietly. "I just wasn't thinking."

"Well, thinking is not your strong suit." What's Ma's strong suit?

I see Him sit down at Table, on my Chair. Ma gets up and goes to Counter to put away stuff He brought.

"So how did he like his Truck?" Ma ups and downs her head. "I know how young boys can be. It's too bad he still hasn't reached his full potential."

"Where are the vitamins." Ma crumples up a plastic bag.

"It's a waste. They don't do anything."

"Well if we had a better diet."

"Again with the fucking diet. I bring you the food you and that boy need to live. How about instead of complaining, you try being a little greatful? Hmm?"

"...You're right. Vlad. Thank you... for everything." That's His name. Vlad. Ma never says his name. Maybe she's afraid He'll become more real.

"I'm trying to make something great. Make a dream come true. But who's doing all the work? Not that money is an issue, but I do recall being the one who pays for everything."

"I know." Ma sounds quiet.

"And how do you think I'm going to be able to keep doing that?" He says. Ma turns around to see him. I can see her face now.

"What are you talking about?"

"Results. You're not giving me results." He puts his hands on Table. "You better start giving me accurate information on his progress."

"Or what are you gonna do about it?"

"I'll have to take matter into my own hands and jump-start it, and you'll be rendered useless." He starts moving his head side to side. "I can't believe it. Five fucking years and not a single **blip**!" He slams his fist on Table and I get scared and hit the back of wardrobe.

I look to see Him and Ma both looking. I feel scared. He moves from Chair, closer to Wardrobe. I try not to squeak.

"Hey there Little Badger."

"He's asleep." Ma says. I should've listened to Ma and be asleep.

"I don't think so." He gets up from Chair. "Do you keep him in the closet all day as well as all night?" He looks at Ma, but she doesn't say anything. "What are you trying to hide? Come to think of it, I've never actually seen him for myself."

I see him start coming to Wardrobe. I wish I could be invisible so He won't have to see me.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, c'mon." I hear Ma say.

He puts his hand in his jacket and pulls out something.

"You want some candy? You like candy?" He asks. I've never had candy. Just the chocolates from Christmas wrapped in little purple foil. He gets even closer. I can see his eyes through Wardrobe's slats. They're blue, and scary. Not like Ma's purple.

"Come to bed." Ma says loud. He look away and at Ma. "Please." I hear her say.

"Please?" He gets up and walks away from Wardrobe. I close my eyes and feel wet.

I lay back down in wardrobe and hear the click of Lamp, and all the light is gone. I wish I could switch off. I start counting when I hear the bed squeaks. I keep going after they stop. I get all the way to 356.

* * *

I turn over a little bit and Truck tries to drive away and makes a lot of noise. I get up quick and it turns off. I laid on remote control by accident. I look out of Wardrobe's slats and still see a little dark. I see Vlad's jacket on Chair. Maybe I shouldn't think his name either, I don't want to make him more real so He can scare me and Ma.

I remembered that's where he had the candy. If He's sleeping I can take it from the jacket, sneaky like Swiper the Fox from Dora. I get out of wardrobe slowly and sneaky. I move the jacket to find where the candy is.

I hear Him cough loudly and I stop moving. Maybe he didn't hear me, cause He stays switched off. I look over to Him and Ma laying in Bed. Ma is facing Wall. I start walking to Him without wanting to. I step on His shoe by accident. It's twice the big of my foot.

I look at his face. White hair, and white hair on His face by His mouth. His eyes open slowly, blue and scary. I can't move. Ma didn't want him to look at me, but I can't move.

"Hello Little Badger." He says and Ma wakes up.

" **GET AWAY FROM HIM!** " Ma starts screaming and tries to get up to get me. I start screaming when she doesn't grab me but grabs Him instead. "DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

"MA!" I scream and He gets up from Bed and pushes Ma's face into Pillows.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I can barely hear her say. I can move again and I run into Wardrobe and shut the doors. I keep shaking and my face is wet. I cover my ears so I don't hear Ma's screams.

"CUT THE NOISE." He yells. Bed is squeaking again. "Do you want to breathe?"

I can hear Ma but not really. Until I hear Bed squeak again, and then Ma breathing loud, I uncover my ears.

"Don't touch him." Ma says. I hear the click of Lamp and then see light.

"If you ever grab me like that again, I will fucking kill you."

"Don't touch him." Ma sounds quiet.

"Yeah? Well don't _you_ forget where you got _him_." I hear him go to Door and put the code.

 **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** _SWOOSH_.

"James!" Ma calls me. "James?" I jump out of wardrobe and run to Ma.

"I'm sorry I came out of Wardrobe." I cry to Ma, she has her hands on her neck, and then moves them to grab me. "I'msorryI'msorry I shouldn't have come out of Wardrobe I'm sorry." She pulls me closer and holds me.

"Are you okay?" I can feel her face in my hair and then it moves.

"I'm SORRY, I'm sorry. I won't do it again!" All my face is wet and even the sheets under me.

"It's okay, sshh, it's okay." I feel Ma lay her head on mine.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry."

I'm sorry Ma. I'll never do it again.

* * *

 **[A\N: annndddd now we have a very important character revel! I know everyone is OOC. Especially Vlad in this story. My version of Vlad is sick and twisted. Poor James.]**


	4. Unlying

Skylight has white around the edges, I think Ma says that's Ice. I look at Ma. She's switched off. Her black hair is all crazy everywhere. I see her neck. It has purple all around it now.

I reach out to touch the purple, softly, and move some of Ma's hair. She moves her head a little bit but doesn't wake up. I hate Him. He hurt Ma. I turn around and breathe out air. White comes out of my mouth.

I do it again, to see if the white is real. It comes out of my mouth again, this time for longer. I turn back over to Ma.

"Ma, I'm a dragon." I whisper. Her eyes stay closed but then they open slowly. "I'm a dragon." I tell her again, and blow out air so she can see my cool power. The hair over her eyes look like worms when they get close together.

She sits up and reaches over to turn on Lamp. We hear a click but no light comes on. We look over to where Thermostat makes the air hot. But it's all quiet.

"He cut the power." Ma gets up and goes to Door. She tries to pull at the top and the sides, but then she screams cause of bad wrist. Ma opens Wardrobes' doors and starts taking out all the blankets and she makes us put on our warmest clothes.

I get to wear two sweaters and my sweatpants and socks.

* * *

Ma gave me a book to read out loud for practice. We're reading Alice in Wonderland. My favorite, cause of all the adventures she gets to go on. Ma is making a snack. Peanut butter and jelly this time. Yum! She has a purple scarf around her neck, and two sweaters, like me.

"- 'for you see so many out of the way things had happened ... l-lat-ley.. that Alice-'"

"Late-ly, is how you pronounce it."

"Lately, 'that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really... im-poss-i-ble. There seemed to be no use..."

I keep reading, but I can feel Ma staring at me.

* * *

At Table, me and Ma eat our snack. I've only finished half of mine, but Ma just keeps picking off the bread of hers. She's looking at me but not really. It makes me kind of scared.

"Ma?" I want to ask her if she's okay, but no sounds come out. She moves her plate away and looks at me for real.

"Hey James, do you remember Mouse?" Ma says.

"Yeah." Mouse my friend that Ma splattered dead, but said was Hunky Dory.

"Do you know where he is?" Her eyes look around Room and the hair above her eyes go together again. I try to do it too and shake my head for 'No.'

"Hmm... I do." Ma turned her head to Wall and then turned it back. "He's on the other side of this wall."

I look at Wall too, how can I see the other side?

"What other side?"

"James, there's two sides to everything."

"Not in an octogon. An octogon has 8 sides."

"But a wall James. A wall has two sides, see." She picked up her hand and put it in front of her face, in between her purple eyes, her thumb resting on her lip and her pinky facing me. "We're on the inside-" She uses her other hand and makes a circle on one side of the first hand. "- and mouse is on the outside." She moves the circle to the other side.

But wouldn't mouse fall off the planet?

"In outer space?" Ma doesn't make any sense.

"No in the World." She puts her hands down. "It's much closer than outer space."

"I can't see the Outside side." Maybe Ma is tricking me. But why?

"Listen... I know that I... told you something else before, when you were much younger." She moved her black hair out of her face. "I.. didn't think you would understand.. but now you're so old. You're so smart! I know that you can get this!"

I really don't know if I can get this. I don't know what Ma is trying to say. Where's Mouse? I shake my head for 'No' again.

"Where do you think He gets all the food from?" Ma asked

"From TV by magic!"

"There is no magic.. okay..? What you see on TV, those are pictures. Of **real** things, **real** people, **real** stuff." Ma says.

"Dora's real for real?" Ma's eyes close.

"No. Dora is a drawing." She opens them again and I breathe out air. I still don't understand Ma. "But other people, with faces like us, are pictures of real things!" Ma's eyes are wide open now.

"And all the other stuff you see on there, that's real too! Real Oceans, real Trees, real Cats, real Dog-"

"NO WAY. Where would they all fit?!" Ma has to be tricking me. She said Max wasn't for real.

"They just do, James. They just fit out in the World." Ma scratches her eye.

"James c'mon." Her voice sounds different now. "You're so smart. I know that you've been wondering about this."

I don't think I want to understand Ma.

"Can I have something else to eat?"

Ma breathes in air loudly and looks up at Skylight.

"Look there's a leaf!" She points up.

"Where?" I look up too. "I don't see a leaf."

"Look come here." She gets up and pushes Chair under Skylight. "Let's get a closer look."

I go closer to her.. She picks me up from my armpits, then she stands on Chair so we get closer to Skylight.

"See that?" All I see on Skylight is the Ice and something brown.

"Dumbo Ma. That's not a leaf, leaves are green."

"Yeah, on trees. But then they fall off and rot like the salad from the fridge."

"Where's all the stuff you said? Trees, and cats and dogs and grass?" Ma puts me back down on Floor and steps off Chair.

"We can't see it from here. Skylight looks upwards instead of sideways and-"

"You're just tricking me!"

"No I'm not." Ma crosses her arms.

"Liar, Liar. Pants on FIRE!" Ma closes her eyes when she hears me yelling again.

"James. I couldn't explain it before because you were too small to understand, so I had to make up a story! Okay? But now... I'm doing the opposite. I am doing the opposite of lying. I am Unlying." Ma reaches out to grab me but I move away. Why would Ma lie to me?

"Because you're five now. You're five and you're old enough to understand what the world is now. Okay?"

I keep shaking my head 'No' for Ma to stop, but she keeps going. Why is she saying this. I don't want to know the world.

"You have to understand, we can't keep living like this. You need to help me!" Ma's voice starts getting shaky.

"I wanna be four again." I would rather be four so I didn't have to be old enough to know about the world. Ma looks at Table.

"Do you remember how..." Ma stops and looks back at me. "Do you remember how Alice wasn't always in Wonderland?"

"She fell down down down deep in a hole."

"Right, well I... wasn't always in Room. I'm like Alice." I look up at Ma's hair above her eyes. They're raised up. I think mine are doing where they get close together.

"I was a little girl. Named Sam-"

"NA." I turn away. I don't wanna hear anymore stories. Ma breathes out loudly.

"I lived in a house with my Mom and my Dad and my Grandma. You would call them Grandma and Grandpa and Great Grandma."

"What House?" Ma starts moving her head side to side, but I don't think it's for 'No' and her shoulders go up.

"A house! It was in the World! It was huge and we had a hammock in the backyard. And we would swing in the Hammock and we would eat ice cream."

"A TV House?"

"No James a **real** house, not TV. Are you even listening to me?"

I didn't say anything. I just looked at Ma.

"When I was a little older, when I was 17. I was walking home from school with my two friends."

"Where was I!"

"You we're still up in outer space." I looked at Ma. "We we're walking home from school and this guy-"

"What guy?" Ma put her hands down.

"Vlad! The man who comes in here at night, his name is Vlad! He came and he beat up my friends-"

"What did they do!?" Ma put her hands to her face, her voice shaky again.

"Nothing James they didn't do anything! He tricked them and hurt them so they couldn't stop him okay? Vlad stole me!" Ma wiped her face with her hands, she had wet under her eyes.

"I WANT A DIFFERENT STORY!" I didn't believe Ma's story, She's always been in Room.

"NO! This is the story that you get!" Ma breathed out. "He put me in a shed. In the back of his Mansion. Here. _Room_ is the shed." Ma looked at my face. He eyes are so open and shiny.

"He's locked the door and he's the only one who knows the code. You know the secret numbers that open the door?"

I didn't move my head up and down for 'Yes' but I remember. One time me and Ma pressed the numbers in different ways. Ma said to make music sounds.

"He's the only one who knows, and he locked me in here for 6 years. I've been here for 6 years do you understand James?"

"THIS STORY'S BORING!"

"James... the world is so big. It's so big you wouldn't even believe it!" Ma's voice gets shaky again. "And Room is just one stinky part of it!"

I can feel wetness on my face now too and my eyes tingly.

"ROOM IS NOT STINKY! ONLY WHEN YOU DO A FART!"

"Oh my god." Ma's eyes go up and she looks away. She goes to sit back on Chair and pulls her legs up. She puts her hands around her mouth.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR STINKY WORLD!"

I turn away and go sit next to Counter where the hole mouse went through was. I can hear Ma make sniffing noises in the back but I don't care. Why would Ma make up a story that Room is a lie. I think she is lying.

Nothing could ever be more real than Me, Ma, and Room.

* * *

 **[AN: our story is progressing now! You learn a little bit now about Sam and how long its been. Everything will change for James, if only he wasn't so stubborn.**

 **Review Reply: thank you so much for reviewing erica . phoenix16! it means so much :') As for why Vlad took Sam, i plan to have that revealed later, but Vlad has kinda gone off the deep end, and desperate times call for drastic measures. About James saying he has super powers. At that point he was just saying it to be silly, and Sam kind of watches him for any signs of ghostly powers. She gets weary when she notices him do small things that could lead to him having powers. But when James says his eyes tingle, I use that as a way of saying his eyes are glowing green because he's angry or feeling a strong emotion. And Sam is afraid that if he starts developing more of those powers Vlad will take him away and James is all she has. But as far as Vlad knows, he can't sense if James is half ghost or not. Which in the show, Danny can't really sense if other half ghosts are around like Danielle or Vlad.. so who knows ;) maybe he might have a little something and just hasn't tapped into it yet. And for your last question we'll just have to wait and find out :)**

 **Again thank you so much for your review!]**


	5. Gone

A bright light makes me awake. I open my eyes slowly. Room is still quiet, and I still am laying next to Ma. He didn't come last night again. I look to the light. It's Lamp! She's back on! I reach up to touch her shade. It's a little dented from when He attacked Ma and dropped it on the floor

"Ma." I whisper and she opens her purple eyes but just a crack. "It's warm again."

She closes her eyes and turns the other way.

"Ma." I grab her shoulder. "Ma." I whisper louder so she can hear me, maybe she didn't hear me the first time. "Ma?"

Ma grabs Duvet and puts it over her head. Why she's not listening? I breathe out air and get out of Bed.

* * *

Ma is having a Gone day. She's still here, but she stays in Bed all day like a zombie. I get up and change out of Night Clothes. Now that it's warm again I can wear my tank top. I climb up onto Counter to get my cereal, and then grab Bowl. I count 100 cereal and sit to eat on Chair. I swing my feet back and forth. My feet almost touch the floor but not really. After cereal I don't really know what to do. I'm the best at activities but Ma is the best at planning them.

No Bath today since I can't do it by myself. I breathe out air and look around Room.

Egg snake is our longest friend, and fanciest. He lives under bed, but maybe to loud to play with if Ma is Gone.

I look back at Bowl and Meltedy Spoon. He's the best to eat with cause he's a lot blobier. Ma doesn't like Meltedy Spoon cause he's different but he's my favorite.

I look around Room to find something to play with. Labriynth is the twistiest, with her maze made from our old toilet paper rolls. She hides things so I can't find them.

Toilet is the best at disappearing poo and our messages we would write on toilet paper to send out to Sea. Toilet is open at the top where the water is and I put Boat in there so it can sail forever.

Lamp is the brightest, except when the power is cut so she can't shine.

Ma is the best at reading and songs and meals and knowing everything. Except when she's having a Gone day. I look at her but she still hasn't moved.

I'm the best at running and jumping and drawing and growing and nearly EVERYTHING!

I see Truck on the floor. I hate it now cause He gave it to me and He hurt Ma. I get up and grab it and rip the tires off. I throw each of them all over Room. I throw one at Tub, and Sink, and Toilet, and to Wardrobe.

I breathe out. There's nothing to do. This day is boring. I wish Ma wasn't Gone.

* * *

On Wall, there's yellow light but not from Lamp. It must be from Skylight. I stand on Toilet to reach it. I touch it and it feels warm. Maybe everything Ma said was real for real. But I just don't understand how it can all be true.

When I look up at Skylight, Leaf is gone.

* * *

I try to use TV remote to switch on Ma. Maybe her batteries are low. I lay next to her and try to shake her awake again. But she doesn't move.

* * *

Skylight is all black. Room is dark. I lay next to Ma instead of in Wardrobe. I don't think He'll come tonight. I reach under Duvet and try to grab Ma's hand but she moves it away. I breathe out air and turn the other way.

This time I only count to 258 until I switch off.

* * *

 **[A/N: yes I know it's super short. And Sam is not dead! She's just really tired and with James not grasping onto her information about the world, is not the happiest and needed some time to herself. But James is a kid and has known only one way of life his whole life, so of course it was not gonna be easy.**

 **REVIEW REPLY: thank you again erica . phoenix16! And yes I forgot to put Sam's grandma in there, funny cause i plan on her being kind of important later. i've gone back and added her there. And we're starting to lead up to where they will finally reunite and we'll have to see where it goes from there :)**

 **I already have the next two chapters typed up, I'm just trying to plan them accordingly. But it shouldn't be long between updates. thank you guys so much for reading. ]**


	6. Sick

Ma is awake today. The purple on her neck is all gone now. She's cleaning up Room after we ate breakfast. I get to watch TV, but I'm not really watching it. Does that still count? I watch Ma when she goes to Trash. She looks inside and pulls out Truck. She sees his wheels ripped off, but doesn't say about it and puts it back in. She knots up Trash and puts it by Door for whenever He comes. He'll make it disappear.

Ma goes to Sink and starts washing the dishes. I look at TV again. It's on the Animal Planet. I put it cause Ma likes it, then maybe she won't be so mad at me anymore. There's a person, with long hair like Ma on there, talking about turtles. Then some turtles come on the screen.

"Are turtles real?" I ask Ma. She keeps washing dishes. I don't think she heard me, but then she stops.

"Yeah, they're totally real." She scratches her head on top and moves her black hair out of her face. "I had one as a pet once."

Ma opens Cabinet under Counter and pulls out a pot.

"And crocodiles and sharks?"

She puts down the pot and does a smile at me.

"Yeah, they're all real."

I pick up TV remote and change to a different planet. This one had more people like Ma and Me, but in long dresses.

"Real?" I ask her.

"Sort of..." She moves away from counter and comes to sit next to me. "So these are real people, but they're... playing dress up. They're pretending they're different people from hundreds of years ago."

Ma watches as I change TV to another planet. This one had lots of colors, with a boy that didn't look like me, next to a dog that was standing up. That didn't look real.

"Just TV?"

"Hey." She bumps her shoulder to mine. I look at Ma and she's smiling at me. "You're getting it." The hair on top of her eyes goes up, and she does a kind of laugh.

I go back to watching TV. A bad guy shoots the dog with a freeze ray and the dog turns to ice.

"When He comes back, I'm gonna kick him in his butt." Ma grabs TV remote away from my hands. She flicks off TV with a click.

"Let me tell you something." She moves to sit in front of me Criss-Cross applesauce. "You know one time, I tried to kick Vlad in the butt. I hid behind the door and I was holding the lid from the toilet tank."

Ma looks over to toilet, and then back at me. "There used to be a lid on the toilet, it was the heaviest thing in Room. When He came, I smashed it over his head. But I messed up. He shut the door before I could get out, and he grabbed me by the wrist." She picked up my arm and grabbed my wrist, but not hard. "That's why it's sore now."

"We could wait until he's switched off and kill him dead!" Ma made a face at my plan. She put my hand down.

"Yeah, we could.. but.. then what? We'd run out of food, and we don't know the code to the door."

"Hey the Grandma and Grandpa and the Great Grandma could come! Or the friends!"

Ma does a long breath in and out.

"James they don't know where we are. Room's not on any map." She moves her head side to side.

Ma moves closer to me and puts her hand on the side of my cheek. Her thumb tickles when she moves it, but I don't laugh.

"James you have to listen to me." She whispers. "Now we've got a chance. We nearly missed it, but we've got our chance." Ma moves her head up and down for 'yes.'

"So you're gonna help me. You're gonna help me trick Vlad."

* * *

Ma pours a pot with hot water into Bowl, then fills it up again with Sink and puts it back on Stove to get hot. There's white air coming from the top of the bowl. Ma says it's Steam, so you know it's really hot. She tied up her black hair and mine with a rubber band to keep it out of our faces.

"I don't get it." I tell Ma. Why did her plan need hot hot water?

"I'm gonna make your face so hot that He'll have to take you to the Hospital. When you get there, you're gonna say to the Doctors 'HELP! POLICE!'"

"Well... maybe next year when I'm six." Ma didn't know that I have a funny feeling in my stomach.

"Tonight. It has to be tonight James." Ma turned back to the pot and poured it into Bowl again. "You'll tell Him that... because of the power cut, you got so cold that you got a fever-"

"Tomorrow. Please."

"No, I'm your Ma." She shook her head for 'No.' "Sometimes I have to pick for the both of us."

* * *

It's Night now. Ma laid me in Bed and grabbed a small towel. She put it into the bowl with hot water, but it didn't have much steam coming out of it anymore. She took out the towel and squeezed the water out of it, like we do to clothes after Bath. Ma put the towel on my forehead, the water was still hot.

"OW!" I closed my eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay! You gotta stay floppy, okay?" She moved the towel to my cheeks. "You're not gonna move or say a word, you're too weak okay?"

I opened my eyes and looked at Ma. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to run. Then Ma sticks her fingers in her mouth and starts coughing. Stuff comes out, i think is vomit, and she puts it on Pillow next to my head.

"EW WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ma doesn't answer me but sticks her fingers in her mouth again.

"I'm sorry." She wipes her mouth. It stinks. "I just have to make you smell sick." Her voice is shakey. I cover my eyes and feel wet there already, my face is so hot. This is the worst.

"Good, good." She says. "Now show me how you're gonna pull the note out of your pocket."

I move my hands to my pocket of sweatpants.

"C'mon show me, hurry! When you're at the hospital-" I pull out the note and something else falls out of the pocket. "What's this?" She picks it up. "What's that?"

It's Ma's Bad Tooth.

I must've put it in my pocket. She puts it in my hand, and I look at Tooth's black spots. There's no blood on it anymore.

"See? You've got a bit of me. All the time." Ma's watch beeps 9:00. She takes Bad Tooth and the note and puts it all back into my pocket. She grabs the towel from Bowl and puts it back on my forehead again. "And you've got your Strong too, okay?"

"I'm scared." My eyes feel tingly, and Ma looks right at them. I wonder if she's scared too.

"I know." She looks at Door and breathes out. "C'mon."

I move my eyes to look around Room. At the pictures we hung on the wall and TV and Tub. I can't see myself being on the outside of Room. What will it all look like? What if He finds out I'm not sick and kills me dead, and then Ma.

She keeps one hand on my forhead and the other is squeezing my hand under the covers. Ma stays facing Door. I can see some wet on her cheeks

Time on Ma's watch ticks past 9:05. Ma lays down next to me and puts her mouth on top of hair. My eyes are still wet from being scared and the burning water on my face.

"It's okay." I hear her whisper.

Maybe he's not coming?

Then we hear a loud noise outside of Door. Ma gets up quick and grabs the towel and Bowl and puts it under Bed. I turn around to face Wall. Maybe if he won't look at me it'll be better.

 **BEEP**. **BEEP**. **BEEP**. _SWOOSH_.

I close my eyes when the cold air comes.

"There you are!" Ma says.

"You know the drill." I hear Door slam closed. "Not a peep until the door shuts."

"I'm sorry it's just.. James is sick. It was so cold." Ma's voice sounds shakey again.

"Well, you brought that upon yourself."

"Well I couldn't keep him warm and now he's burning up!"

"Give him some of those pain killers that you whine about for me to bring."

"I tried, but he just keeps puking them back up."

My breath is coming in and out of me fast and I don't know how to stop it. Is this being scared? I hear his footsteps come closer.

"Don't!" Ma shouts. "Don't touch hi-" I hear a slap sound, and Ma stays quiet.

I feel the wet on my face, but I don't move. My body shakes when the cold air he brings come close to me. His hand touches my head and I try to shake it off. It's so cold. I move again but his hand grabs my forehead.

" _Stay still_." I squeak a little and he moves his hand away. "He's on fire. Impossible if he's a hybrid."

I close my eyes, I don't know what he's talking about.

"I must've miscalculated somewhere." He walks away from Bed. "Okay, I'll get him something stronger."

"But he's five! He's dehydrated, he has a fever! He could go into a convulsion at any second!"

"Just shut up! Let me think!"

"He needs antibiotics!" Ma keeps screaming at him. I hope he doesn't hurt her again.

"Okay fine, I'll get him some tomorrow." He puts the numbers in Door.

" **NO**! You need to take him to the ER right now! He can't wait until tomorrow night! _PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU_!" Ma screams.

Door shuts.

"ARGH!" I hear her bang on Door, the loud sound makes me jump. I move my hands to wipe away the wet on my face. Ma comes back to Bed and grabs my hand hard.

"Am I still gonna go?" My voice sounds more shakey then Ma's.

"No. Not this time." She lays down and puts my head under her neck. She takes my hair out of the ponytail and brushes it out.

"It's okay, sshhh." She whispers in my ear. "You did good." She kisses the top of my head and grabs both my hands and holds them. I hear Ma make sniffle sounds.

I thought I would never switch off.

* * *

 **[A\N: muahahah we're getting there. vlad is not happy that james is not what he planned him to be. i dont really know what else to say, i'm so tired i should be sleeping, i open at my job tomorrow- err technically today. yikes.**

 **thank you again erica . phoenix16, wonderful review as always :) yeah i'm sure she was due for a breakdown soon. it's really a lot to go through. our poor girl.**

 **goodnight peeps.]**


	7. Dying

In the morning, I get to have whatever I want for breakfast, Ma said. But I still choose 100 cereal, then maybe Macaroni for later. Ma has her hair tied up for when she was cleaning Bed Sheets in Tub. She watches me eat when we're both sitting at Table, but she doesn't have something to eat.

"Do you.. remember the story, The Count of Monte Cristo?" Ma asks at me.

"He was locked up in a dungeoun on an island."

"Yeah but rememeber how he got out? He pulls his dead friend out of the bag, and hides him. Then he gets in the bag. And the gaurds threw him into the sea, but he didn't drown. He wriggled out and swam away."

"Remind me more."

"The rest doesn't matter." Ma shakes her head. "The point is, James, that's what you're gonna do."

I'm confused.

"I'm gonna get thrown in the sea?"

"No, James. You're gonna escape like the Count." Ma crosses her arms over her chest. "Do you see how that's even tricksier.. than pretending to be sick. Because you're ... gonna pretend to be... dead."

Ma moves some of the hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ears. "When He comes back tonight... I'm going to tell him that you died."

I stare at her.

"But I'm not dead."

"No. You'll be disguised as dead, like the Count." Ma's voice sounds cranky.

"But we don't have a bag."

"Aha, we're going to use Rug."

I look down at Rug, and then at the dark spot from when I got born.

"Why?"

"Because, I guess you got so sick and dehydrated your body didn't have water. And the really high fever stopped your heart."

"No, why in Rug?"

"That's a smart question. Because when you're dead, you're really cold, and stiff. The opposite of floppy. And you're not supposed to breathe. If He catches you breathe once, who knows what he'll do. When we roll you up in Rug, then he can't feel you or see you breathe. Voila! A disguise." She does a kind of smile.

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard and also scariest.

"You're not gonna make a sound. And I'm gonna be there talking to you in your head." Ma breathes in and out really long. "He's gonna take you, and put you in a truck... and he's gonna.. set you down somewhere."

"No." I look at Ma but her face doesn't move.

"It'll be okay though. Because you're gonna wiggle out.. and you're gonna run away."

I think the wetness is back, my eyes tingle.

"Believe me, if there was anything else I thought had a chance in hell."

I don't know what a chance in hell is. Ma gets up from Table.

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you how its gonna go."

* * *

 _ **DEAD. TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. POLICE. SAVE MA.**_

Ma puts Table and Chairs on Bed to make more space. But this time not for Strecth or Track. This time, to practice being dead.

I lie down on the end of Rug and Ma wraps her over me. She pushed me on my front, then my back, then two more times of each until I'm rolled up tight. Rug smells funny. A different smell then when I'm just laying on her. She itches my nose but I can't scratch.

Ma picks me up, I'm super squished and can't breathe. Ma says He's gonna lift me up and then put me down to close Door. She sets me down, my head side first.

"OW."

"But you can't talk okay?"

"Sorry." I say.

Ma lifts me up again, then says He's gonna drop me into His truck. She puts me down again, _thump_. I bite my mouth to not shout this time.

"And you have to stay stiff James, like a robot! Okay? If He sees you move or make a sound He won't think you're dead. He'll be so mad, He'll-" Ma stops.

"What?" I ask. "What He'll do?"

"Nothing, cause you're not gonna move."

I feel Ma grab the sides of Rug, but instead of pulling me up, she shakes it side to side.

"You're gonna feel the truck shaking. This is how you know He's driving."

"Where?" I ask. My breath is hot in Rug.

"Out of the city probably. Where no one can see when he sets you down." I can feel her shake Rug again. "When you feel this, that means that He's busy, and that's your time to roll. Roll out James. C'mon roll!"

I try and try and feel myself go from my back to my front. Then again. I hear Ma yelling to roll.

"Okay James, now wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. Wiggle out!"

"I can't!" I'm stuck and can't breathe. "Ma! Getmeout! I can't!" I scream for Ma.

"C'mon James!"

"MA! I CAN'T"

I feel her grab Rug and pull me out. I breathe lots of air.

 _ **DEAD. TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. POLICE. SAVE MA.**_

I have to try again. I lie at the end of Rug again.

"We'll try shortening the rug. There was too many turns that time, and try putting your arms folded over your chest to make more space."

Ma rolls me over again, this time with my arms folded up.

"Try wiggling out now."

I try but I still can't move.

"I can't!" I don't know how the Count did this without drowning. "It's too tight!" Rug is wet on my face.

"Okay then roll. Roll James!"

I try rolling. With my arms folded it's easier and harder. I feel myself going on my back and front again. Ma keeps shouting to roll. I don't want to anymore, but I keep going cause I want to get out.

"Go, go! Now wiggle! Yes!"

I make it out of Rug.

"I HATE YOU!" I scream at Ma, and breathe in and out fast.

Ma sits down on Floor and sits me in her lap

"Okay, I know. It's alright." She whispers. How it's alright if I hate her?

She rocks her body back and forth and lays her head in my hair. I don't care. The wet on my face keeps coming down.

"You've got to keep practicing so you get the hang of getting out." She says softly but I still hear.

"No. I won't do it."

"James, please."

"I'm too scared."

Ma breathes in really deep, I can feel it cause it moves my body up and down. She puts her hands over my tummy.

"I brought you into Room... I didn't mean to, but I did. And I've never once been sorry." She says, her voice sounds different. I don't say anything, I just stare at Wardrobe.

"I brought you here, and tonight... I'm gonna get you out." I look at Watch on her wrist. 3:46.

"Okay." I say softly, but she still hears. I pull away to look at her. "And then you, with a blowtorch. One at time, but both."

She does a smile but not really. Like just pretend.

"But you for sure. All that matters is just you." Ma says.

I shake my head side to side because there's no just me. We look at each other not smiling.

"Ready to try again?" Ma asks.

"I can't-"

"Sure you can."

I don't know why, but I say okay. I lie down at the end of Rug again.

"Now tell me what's the plan." Ma says.

"Dead. Truck. Wiggle out. Jump-"

"You're gonna jump at the first stop. The truck is gonna... roll to a stop and that's when you'll jump." Ma moves my hair that came out of my ponytail away from my face. "Then you're going to shout when you see somebody. You'll say 'My Ma, is Sam Manson'."

"Who's somebody?"

"Anybody, the first person that you see."

"An actual real life somebody?" Ma nods. "What if He unwraps me?"

"He won't. Do you have Bad Tooth?"

I rub my tongue on the side of my cheeck to feel if he's still there.

"He's right here so I don't lose him." I point at my cheek. Ma sniffles and I see water in her eyes. She does a small laugh.

"You're amazing James." She kisses the top of my head and moves my hair again, even though it's already out of my face. "You're gonna love it."

"What?"

"The world! The house with the hammock. And grandpa and grandma and great grandma."

"And you?" I ask. Ma's face changes.

"Yeah..."

She doesn't look at me.

* * *

After we practice a few more times, Ma says we can rest. I don't know if I'm getting better. But I hate being squished up most of all. I lie and the end of Rug and Ma lays down next to me. She puts one arm under her head like a pillow and the other over my chest so she can feel my heart, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. Beating fast.

"You're going to have to be brave for the both of us." I can feel her breath on my ear.

"I'm scared."

"You can be scaredy brave."

"Scave." I do a word-sandwhich.

"Nice one." Ma does a small laugh. "Let me tell you another story. About someone I knew, who was 'scave'. Every day... he would fight ghosts."

"Ghosts aren't real, dumbo Ma."

"They are. I've seen them. He's a ghost too, but a nice one. He can fly and shoot rays from his hands."

"Like a superhero?"

"Exactly. He would use his powers to fight the bad evil ghosts and protect the town. Even when he was scared, he still went to fight the bad guys and save the day."

"Why?" How a ghost can save the day?

"Cause it was the right thing to do. Maybe you'll get to meet him when you do your Great Escape."

I didn't say anything. Just thinking about an actual real superhero. I can be one too, and save Ma with my own powers instead, and then kick Vlad in the butt so He'll never ever hurt Ma again!

We hear a noise from the Outside. Ma sits up quick. My tummy gets a weird scary feeling again. It's not even 9:00 yet. Why He's coming early?

Ma grabs my arms to put them over my chest and starts to wrap Rug around me.

I go on my front, then my back.

"I'm sorry James. I love you."

Front, then back again.

"Stay stiff, don't move, stay stiff. You can do this, okay?" She whispers. Front, and back on more time.

I can do this. I need to be the superhero to save Ma.

 **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** _SWOOSH_. Cold air comes in.

I go still. I'm a corpse. I'm the Count, no, I'm his friend, even deader.

"Here, antibiotics." That's his voice. Can a voice be cold too? "What are you doing?"

Something is pressing on me. I hear Ma do a loud sniffle, from right above me.

"He got worse in the night." She breathes in and out loudly. "He didn't wake up."

I hear a deeper breath.

"Oh. Poor girl." His heavy footsteps move. "I guess it was pretty seriou-"

"You killed my baby!"

"Okay calm down, let me have a loo-"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I hear a slap sound again.

"Okay alright." He says. Maybe it was Ma who slapped him. Ma keeps breathing loud.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"AM I SURE?! Oh my God." Ma's voice goes high.

"Well, he can't stay here you know." He says.

"Where are you gonna take him?"

"I-I- well- um-"

"Somewhere nice. It can't be here, I'll feel him. Somewhere with trees." Ma sniffles again. "It's the least you can do Vlad. Get a truck, drive him far away. Please!"

"Trees, okay got it." He breathes out.

"I need you to swear to me that you won't lay your _filthy_ eyes on him! SWEAR TO ME YOU WON'T LOOK AT HIM!"

"I swear." He says.

I wonder if he's really not lying. I hear Bed squeak. Maybe he sat on it because I can still hear Ma crying above me and the pressure.

"It's about an hour until dark-"

"NO! I can't bear it! Please! It hurts.." Ma screams even more now.

"Fine. I'll get a truck over here."

"Take him far away. If you do it in the backyard I'll hear him screaming. And I'll never be quiet. I'll keep screaming. I'll tear this place apart. You'll have to kill me to get me to shut up, I don't care anymore!"

"Okay! Alright!"

Why Ma's telling Him to kill her? I hear heavy footsteps, then I feel myself being lifted up. Just like Ma said. I hear her in my head and her in real life screaming.

 _ **TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.**_

"James! Don't please!" Ma's crying like I was dead for real. I need to stay stiff, stiff, stiff. Scave. If I look with my eyes all the way out from the hole of Rug I can see bits of Room.

"I got him! Let go!" He yells.

"James, no!" For one second, I see Ma's face. Her black hair everywhere, purple eyes wet, and her face also wet and red.

"Step back!" He yells again. "Face the wall."

Ma's crying is further away now. I hear the **BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.** Of Door, then _SWOOSH_. I can't breathe. I'm squished. I can't hear Ma for real anymore. I just feel Bad Tooth in my cheek. A bit of Ma. The air is different. If I pick my nose up a little I can breathe the air of- Outside? Am I really?

He puts me down, ouch. I don't make a noise I think. I hear the shut of Door. Then his footsteps move away, _crunch_ , _crunch_. Is he gonna leave me here? After he swore to Ma? I say the plan again in my head. I already did the Dead bit.

 _ **TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.**_

A loud noise comes closer. Maybe it's Truck! I feel up again, then down hard on my face, ow, ow, ow. I taste something funny in my mouth. I hear a slam by my feet, then a bit after a slam from somewhere else, and everything starts to shake. Like Ma said but a million times worse! I'm in Truck! I got to!

I'm not in Room anymore. Am I still me?

 _Ma_! I shout in my head. ' _I did two of seven!_ ' Now that's left is _**WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.**_ I breathe in and out hard, but Rug makes it hot.

I'm zooming along in Truck. Oh, yeah I have to wiggle out. I'm forgetting even if I know all the steps.

I try to wiggle.

No use.

Rug's gotten tighter, I don't know how. _MA! MA! HELP!_ I can't move, I failed even though we practiced and practiced. He's going to take me and bury me alive. I feel the wet on my face.

I feel no moving under me. Truck's stopped. I'm meant to Jump now. But I can't even wiggle out. How can I get to four if I'm stuck on three? I can't get to five, six, seven, because I'm stuck on three! I'm getting buried deep deep in hole.

 _'No. Find a corner.'_ Maybe that's Ma in my head, or me thinking.

Truck is moving again. I push with my hands down so I can move up. Still no use. I kick hard, nothing. I reach up around Rug to find a corner, I can't find it. Then I find it and help me pull.

I turn on my back, but it's even tighter now and the corner is gone.

No moving again. Truck stopped twice. I'm still not out. I pull, pull, pull, on Rug and I see a huge sparkling bright. Then it's gone.

Truck is moving again. I think that was Outside. But it was so so bright, more than Lamp.

I have to start being more brave than scave. I'm the ghost with superpowers. I'm the Count!

I roll and roll, Rug's looser now, she's letting me breathe!

I roll one more time and I can move my legs! I can wiggle! One leg gets out, then two. Then my face. I breathe in lots and lots of air! My eyes are open but they want to shut. It's so bright, but I see blue, like from Skylight. I try to keep my eyes wide open as possible. I see green of leaves. I'm in Outside! I did it! I wish Dora was here to sing " _We did it! Lo Hicimos!_ "

Things are zooming by fast, I can't see them all. But the sky is huge. And in the corner has some orange and purple. The sky can be more than one color?

I sit up, I'm in Truck bed. My hair goes in my face. I guess it came out of my ponytail. I look to the part of truck to the front. I can't see Him through the black glass. I reach over to the side of Truck.

I see Trees, Fences, Houses. All real like Ma said. Oh, the plan! I did step three!

 _ **JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.**_ Only a little steps left.

Truck starts slowing down. I look to the side and see a big sign in red, "Stop." It says. Now's the time for Jump. I try to get to the side, but Truck starts moving again and turns. My whole body rolls the other way and I tumble, hit my head, owwww. But I get up again.

Truck stops. But I don't. I hear Vlad. He sounds angrier than I've ever heard him. Oh, no.

I jump off, crash. OUCH, the ground hurts my knee, but I have to keep going. What's next? _**RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.**_

I try to run, I'm the best at running in Room. My feet are on green. I fall, knee hurts so bad, but get up. Find Somebody. I hear Vlad behind me. He's gonna tear me limb from limb and kill me dead.

I try to shout help, help, but hair is in my mouth. My eyes aren't working right I can't see. I can't find a somebody -

A bear?

A baby wolf.

A dog! Can a dog be somebody?

I can't think and my breath is used up. _Ma!_ I shout in my head. Then something hits me hard, I fall again. OUCH! I can't get back up. A funny taste in my mouth. I hear barking really loud.

"Rover! Calm down! Heel!" A new voice. A somebody. I can't breathe. Someone grabs my arm and lifts me up. Vlad. I'm caught.

"I'm sorry man, she came out of nowhere." I hear. The dog is still barking. So loud. "Hey! You're Mr. Masters! I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had a daughter. Is she okay?"

Why he's calling me a she?

"It's under control." Vlad says, he drags my arm up, ow. I try wiggling out, but he's too strong.

"Is she hurt? Would you like me to call someone?"

I yell for help, but my voice is so soft. I try again.

"I'll handle it." His voice is so scary, He's pulling at my hair. Ouch.

I reach for Note in my pocket and pull it out.

"What's that you got there honey? Is that for me?"

Vlad grabs my hand hard and Note disappears. Magic trick? I keep yelling for help.

"Mr. Masters what are you doing?"

"Why don't you just mind your own damn business!"

"MA! MA! HELP ME!" My voice makes sound again.

"This doesn't look right, I'm calling the cops."

Vlad throws me on the ground hard. I can't breathe, or see. I hear a loud squealing noise. I think He's gone. I roll into a ball, like an armadillo. My whole body hurts. Ma! My eyes are wet. I'm more scared then brave now.

The somebody is talking to me. I can't hear. Just bells in my ears. Not Ma's voice. I start to feel wet on my face, but not water from my eyes. The wet hits my cheek, and my nose.

"It's starting to rain." The Somebody says. He puts something over my head and the wet disappears. It smells different. "Don't worry honey, the police will be here shortly."

Police. Then save Ma. Just one more step. I hope Vlad doesn't get to her.

I'm in green. Grass. For real. And there's something in it. I reach out to grab it, wet tickles my hand.

A leaf, but brown. Dead.

* * *

I hear loud wailing sounds, **WEEEEEWOOOOO**. It keeps getting louder, then stops. I hear voices but not what they're saying. Footsteps come closer to me. A lady in dark blue.

"Hi, I'm Deputy Parker, want to tell me your name?" Her face is in my eyes. Her voice different than Ma's but sounds nice, and face darker than Ma's. I whisper my name to her. I think my voice is all gone out.

"Want to say that a little louder?" I don't feel like talking again. I need to get to Ma.

Deputy Parker carried me to the police car. Like from TV. I'm cold. I jump when she starts talking to me again. I didn't know she was sitting right next to me.

"James?"

I thought I heard Ma for a bit. But it wasn't.

"Can.. you tell me how old you are?"

Easy answer. "I'm five." I whisper but louder.

"Five, that's great. Can you tell me where you live?"

I hear another slam. A policeman gets in the front of the car. My eyes go up at him, then back down to the floor.

"Do you have a mom James?"

"Ma." I move my head for 'Yes'.

"Okay, good. Does she have.. another name?" Oh no. I forgot the plan. I look at the policewoman.

"I can't... remember."

"That's okay, where's Ma right now?"

"Room."

"What room James? Where's this room?"

I feel the bit of Ma, Bad Tooth, in my cheek. Her Strong. I pull it out.

"That man from the truck, Vlad Masters. Is that your dad? Is he your Ma's boyfriend? What's that James?"

"A bit of Ma." I roll Bad Tooth in my fingers. The policewoman tries to grab it, but I pull it closer to me.

"That's okay. You're doing good." She turns to the policeman. "Let's circle around the block, maybe he'll see something that will jog his memory, poor thing."

I want to say I'm not a thing, I'm a real person. But I don't. The police car starts moving.

* * *

Outside is dark now, but not really. There's Street Lamps and red lights that also turn yellow and green. It doesn't feel right to be without Ma. The rain, that's what the guy with the dog said it was, makes it hard to see out of the police car.

"So James, anything you recognize?" Deputy Parker keeps asking questions at me. I don't feel like answering. I don't know all the answers like Ma knows everything.

"What about your room James? What's outside your room?" Her voice sounds cranky like Ma's sometimes does.

"Outer Space." Wait, Ma said that was a lie. Space is farther. "No, the world."

"You think the kid's on something?" The policeman driving the police car says.

"Okay listen. When you step out the door-"

I shake my head for 'No'. "We don't know how to open the door."

"My money is on some kind of cult. The pale skin, and the long hair.."

"Is there daylight in your room James?"

I move my head for 'Yes'.

"Okay, how many windows?"

"Zero."

"Well then how does the light get in?"

"Through skylight."

"A skylight? Excellent. So you live in a house with a skylight?"

"Room's not a house it's a..." I can't remember.

"A what?"

"You'd get more out of him after he's had some sleep."

"Ryan give it a second!"

Then I remember, maybe Ma really is talking to me in my head.

"It's a.. a shed."

"A shed? James a shed?"

I move my head for 'Yes' again.

"It's a needle in the haystack with this one." The policeman says.

"Okay, James what made you jump out of the truck?"

"Ma said in my head."

"What exactly did she say?"

"Jump when it slows down. But I couldn't"

"Alright so what did you do?"

"The third time I got banged and tumbled over."

"The third time of what?"

"Third slow." I look at Deputy Parker. She's writing on a paper. "Everything went sideways, and then stopped."

Deputy Parker stopped writing and looked up.

"Then I jumped into-"

"I got it buddy, I got it." I watch her grab something on her shoulder and start talking into it. That doesn't make any sense.

"This is Unit 1035 calling in, Dispatch listen closely. We have a rough location."

Deputy Parker talks into the black thing, and after she's done it talks back. Maybe it's the aliens? How does she know who's she's talking to for sure?

"Search the area for a garden shed with a skylight-" She keeps talking but I don't listen anymore, until she says Bingo. I don't think she's talking about the Farmer's Dog - Bingo was his name-o.

A sound comes on and lights start flashing. Blue and Red. The policecar turns another way and goes again. Only one thing left from the plan.

 _ **SAVE MA.**_

* * *

The policecar slows and stops. There are more police persons and flashing red and blue lights. They hurt my eyes so I look down at Bad Tooth.

"Everything is gonna be okay James, we're going to get your Ma." Deputy Parker says and she gets out of policecar.

"Me too." I start to get up but she stops me.

"No, James stay here."

"NO!" I yell but she closes the door.

"It'll be alright James, settle in." The policeman says.

I don't know what to settle in. I sit by the window but the flashing lights make it hard to see. There's persons talking and talking on the machine in the policecar. Numbers and words all smushed together making no sense. Not like word sandwiches me and Ma do.

All the police persons are at this big house, standing at the door; and standing by a long fence. It takes forever and ever for them to go in. I want to see Ma. I see in my head- Ma in Room and Vlad looking madder than ever and he-

"Ma." I cry for her. I can't hear her talking in my head anymore. I wish I was four. I'd rather be in Room with Ma. My eyes feel tingly and I feel the wet on my face.

"Open the door!" I bang on the window. I don't know the code for this door either. I want to help find Ma. "OPEN!" My hair that's in my face gets wet too.

I keep banging on the window when I see police persons come out of the fence. Then someone running and the police persons running after them.

"James! Where is he?!"

Ma's black hair. She's running. Looking for me!

"Ma!" I scream. Hope she can hear me. I scream louder. "I'm over here MA!" I move closer and hit my head on the window a little.

She sees me! She runs to the policecar. Her black hair is crazy, and her purple eyes are lighted up with the red lights.

"James!" She's screaming at the window to open to doors. Deputy Parker runs next to Ma and the doors open.

"MA!"

Ma grabs my arms and picks me up out of the policecar. Her face is all wet and she pushes my head into her neck. She smells like Room.

 _Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma,_ \- she's real for real. Not dead. 100 percent alive.

She's crying in my ears. "James, my baby! We did it... no you did it! James!" She gives me tons and tons of kisses. They tickle but I don't laugh.

Deputy Parker pushes me and Ma into policecar and shuts the door. I'm so sleepy I think my head is gonna fall off. Ma tells me in my ear that we still have to talk to more police. My eyes shut.

"Can we go to Bed."

Ma picks her head up from mine and pushes my hair out of my face.

"Yeah, they'll take us somewhere to sleep soon." She wipes away the wetness on her face and from her nose.

"No but Bed. In Room." I've seen the world, now I want to go back. Ma's purple eyes look into mine.

"Oh James... we're free. We're never going back." She shakes her head.

The policecar starts moving. I cry and cry so hard that I can't stop.

* * *

Bright, bright lights.

Loud everywhere.

I go bump, bump, up and down.

Ma's hair is in my nose.

Talking.

"Unbeliveable... She's alive."

Dark again.

* * *

 **[A/N: took longer than I thought to get this chapter out. Don't really know how this is going anymore, but I'll still try to get it all finished :) Only thing I will say is that Vlad was still mayor of Amity Park and served a four year term until he got bored and more invested in this plan with Sam, and didn't run for the next term. He doesn't have her in his mansion in Wisconsin, too easy for Danny to have found her. But a medium sized home he got in Arlington Heights, Illinois is where he was keeping them. ]**


	8. After

I'm switched on. It's bright bright bright! Not like Room. It hurts my eyes too much.

It's too cold and I don't see Thermostat to hot the air, like Room. But Ma's warm is next to me.

I sit up and Bandage on my knee bends. It has little red spots of my blood on it. I try to pull it off but it hurts. Ouch. This is the second time my blood came out of me.

On my wrist is a band with the words 'Northwest Community Hospital'. My eyes hurt too much to read the other words.

I move on the bed and feel cold on my butt. All my clothes are gone, except Underwear. But he's wet. There's a dark spot under me too. I touch it and it's wet. It's pee. I must've wet the bed on accident. I haven't done that since I stopped being 3. I move away from the wet spot.

In front of the bed is a huge Skylight but on the wall. This must be the window that Ma says looks sideways, and not upwards. It makes my eyes hurt, but I want to see the trees for real.

I move to get off the bed. My barefeet touch the floor that's so cold! I wish I had socks. What if my toes fall off from the cold?

Window is so huge, it looks like an invisble wall. I reach to touch it, maybe my hand will go through! But I touch the glass and my hand stops. I put my head on it to keep looking. There's buildings, and trees and grass but... it's so far down. If window wasn't there I would fall down and get splattered to death. I run away quick and jump to the bed.

"MA! MA!" I yell over her. Ma's purple eyes open quick, she grabs me and pulls me in a hug. She brushes my hair with her fingers and I put my head on her chest. I really want some, but Ma will probably say 'Not right now'.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She gives me two kisses on my head. It kind of tickles. "I was waiting so long for you to wake up I fell asleep again." She does a small laugh.

"Are we in another planet?"

Ma shakes her head for 'No'.

"Nope. Same one, just a different place." I get up to look at her face. "This one is a... bedroom. In a hospital."

"Are we sick for real? Or for pretend?"

"We're not sick. We're the opposite of sick." Ma smiles.

"How long are we gonna stay?"

"Not long." Ma pushes her dark hair behind her ear. "The doctors called Grandma and Grandpa. They're on their way to see us right now."

"And Great Grandma?"

"She's sick and can't walk. She was in an electric scooter the last time I saw her." Ma's eyes look away, then back at me. "But she'll be waiting for us when we get back."

A scooter that goes zoom fast? I almost say, but don't. I look down at the wet spot from my pee.

"I wetted the bed. I'm sorry. It was by accident"

Ma sits up to look and says it's okay. Then a loud beeping noise sounds all around the bedroom. I cover my ears and jump into Ma, scared, but she moves to grab something from a small table.

"Hello?" She talks into something pressed to her ear. Bigger than what Deputy Parker was talking into yesterday night.

"Yeah.. just now." She doesn't make sense talking into the thing. "Yeah that would be great. Can you bring it in twenty minutes?"

Ma looks to me and does a smile.

* * *

Ma walks me into another smaller room inside the room we are already in. There's too many rooms, it hurts my head. She says we're going to take a bath cause we stink. I know I stink of sick and pee. Ma crouches down and pulls down Underwear. They're all cold and wet, gross.

"Step out." She says and when I move them away from my feet, she picks them up and throws them in a small silver can. Maybe Trash.

"Ma that's waste." I look up at her and she's washing her hands in a sink.

"We'll get you new ones." She smiles at me again. Ma's smiley today, even though we're not in Room. Why is she so happy?

"For Sunday Treat?" I don't know how Vlad will find us to bring us our treats anymore.

Ma comes to me and grabs my head softly. Her dark hair tickles my face.

"There will be so many treats, and not just on Sunday." Ma smiles again and kisses the top of my face.

I move away and look around the smaller room. There's a long flowing curtain but behind it is just another wall. There's a toilet, but not Toilet. And no Tub. Maybe in another space?

"Ma where's the bath?" I ask her. Ma is looking at something over the sink and turn to look at me. She's touching her face and hair.

"It's called a shower. It's splashier." She turns back to the something over the sink. "James come here. Look."

Ma grabs my hand and pulls me to her. She kneels down to me and we both look over the sink now. I'm staring at a picture of Ma and next to her a someone in my place. When I move my hand, it moves. Maybe not a picture. I don't get it.

"That's us." Her double in the moving picture smiles and she whispers in my ear. I keep looking at the eyes and they look back at me.

Blue. Not like Ma's.

"What's this." I ask.

"It's a mirror. It.. shows a reflection of what you look like. That's what you look like." Ma brushes my hair. It's long like Ma's, almost longer, and dark too. "You're the dead spit of me, almost."

"Why I'm your dead spit?" She does a giggle.

"It's just a saying. It means you look like me. My dark hair, my nose, my face shape. Except your eyes are... are blue."

"Why?"

Ma's purple eyes look away from the mirror to me in real life and does a breath out.

"That's just how things are."

I look at the reflection Me again. With blue eyes. Like Vlad's.

"Will He ever find us?"

Ma grabbed my shoulder and made me look at her. Ma's eyes look right into mine. Her face almost scary. She pushes my hair out of my face.

"No... He will never find you."

I almost tell Ma if He'll find her too, but I don't say.

* * *

Ma's in front of me in Shower and the splashes go on my toes and make them warm, then they go cold again. I don't like it. I miss Bath where it was warm all the time.

"Bath before Bed that's the rule!" I yell to Ma. The splashes are so loud.

"There are no rules James. We can do what we like." Ma does a loud sound.

"Are you hurting?" There's Steam like from Pot when I was pretending to be sick. Maybe the Shower is too hot and boiling Ma alive!

"Nope." She says and turns around and does a smile at me. "Do you wanna come in?"

I shake my head for 'No'. I don't want to get burned. Ma laughs and splashes the water at me, like we do in Bath. Then she spalshes to me again. I laugh.

The water is actually okay.

* * *

I'm sitting back on the bed, all clean now. Ma is sitting on a chair by window, looking out, when I hear a sound.

"Ma the door's ticking." I tell her and she gets up and sits next to me.

"Hey it's okay." She grabs my hand and the door opens. There's no BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. like in Room but persons still come in. I get scared it might be him and try to hide in Ma's lap. She grabs both my hands so I can't and tells me it's okay again.

"Good Morning." The person says. A man. Ma says hello. Maybe he's not bad. I look down, I don't want him to see me.

"I see we're all awake now?"

"Yeah." Ma says.

Then I see his feet and his legs. He kneels down to look at me but I hide in Ma's arm.

"Hi, James." The man knows my name. My eyes start tingling again. I'm scared. "My name's Doctor Voss. You were alseep when I showed up this morning."

I don't like being switched off when he can see me and I can't.

"Are you hungry?" Doctor Voss asks.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Ma asks.

"You must be starving." He says and then I can't see his feet anymore.

Ma puts her head over mine, her wet hair tickles.

"He's going to bring you some breakfast okay?" She whispers.

Then there's a loud scratchy noise.

"Check out what we got here!" Says Doctor Voss. I look up and by magic there was breakfast on a tiny table with wheels on it in front of me and Ma. Like a robot. A Robot that does magic. "There's pancakes and fruit."

I remember me and Ma made pancakes in Room once.

"MMmm.. let's check it out James!" She grabs the plate with pancakes on it and opens a lid on top. It smells delicioso but I don't think I can eat. My tummy says no. "There's some grapes and melon. I think you'll like the grapes. It looks really good."

Ma grabs a small thing and opens it up.

"This is syrup it goes on the pancakes. It makes it really sweet, oh and look we have butter too! You can put the butter on the pancakes to make it taste yummy." I never had syrup for real. But Ma doesn't know I don't feel good to eat. "Do you want to try it?"

I shake my head for 'No.'

"So I brought you some goodies." Doctor Voss says and reaches in his white lab coat. Like all the doctors have in TV from the Animal Planet. Except we're not animals.

He pulls out two small black things.

"Sunglasses." He says. "This will make it more comfortable if you need to go outside."

I thought we were in Outside.

"Also some sunscreen, mainly for James. And this mask." He pulls things out of his lab coat, I think he does magic. How does it all fit?

"Is all that really nessacary?" Ma reaches to grab my shoulders.

"Yes. There's a lot of germs in the air he still needs to get used to. As well as vaccinations he will need to keep him from getting sick."

Germs can make you sick and die. Ma had said in Room.

"And my collegue perscribed this for your wrist. So you can be set up for surgery."

I hear a shaking and look up. I see a small orange bottle and Ma grabs it. Maybe they're the Killers Ma would take in Room. Outside Killers look different.

"And these are to help you sleep." Doctor Voss gives her another orange bottle.

"Thanks." Ma reaches over me and starts cutting the pancake. "Okay James, let's try some pancakes."

"MM-mm." I shake my head for 'No' again and hide in her lap.

"So have you had the chance to think about what we discussed this morning?" I hear Doctor Voss ask.

"Yeah I thought... I did think about it I-I. Thank you. But... I really.. want to go home." Ma says. I can feel her stomach moving when she breathes in and out.

"Okay. You know my view."

"Yeah."

"With everything.. you two have experienced. And to assess James properly-"

Why he want to 'assess' me?

"But nothing happened to James." Ma's voice sounds cranky.

"No- yes I understand."

"He's gonna be okay right?"

"The most important thing you did.. was get him out while he's still plastic."

I reach up to Ma's ear.

"I'm not plastic." I whisper.

"What is that James?" Doctor Voss kneels down again but I hide in Ma's shirt. I really wish I could have some. But then Ma would probably say 'Not right now, enough'. But there's never enough.

"He says he's... real. He's not plastic." I feel Ma grab me and put her chin on my head.

"Well you got me there James. You're real, and you're very brave." He says.

Then there's loud yelling outside of Door, then the noise comes inside. Ma gets up and leaves me on the bed alone. I get scared and huddle into an Amaradillo again.

"MOM, DAD!" I hear Ma cry.

"I'm sorry we just couldn't wait any longer!" A lady voice. I don't want to look up. I hear Ma crying and I think she's hurt. "Finally, our little girl."

Ma isn't a little girl. She's Ma.

"They said you were dead, but they never found your body- oh. Samantha, honey. I can't believe it's really you!" A man voice says.

I look up through my long hair. The lady and a man are both hugging Ma. The lady has orange hair and the man has yellow hair. He doesn't look at me.

Ma's hair is black, like mine.

They all have water coming down their face and are hugging.

Ma called them Mom and Dad. They're the Grandma and Grandpa.

Why I don't have a Dad?

* * *

 _I'VE BEEN IN THE WORLD 37 HOURS._

Me and Ma took a walk around Hospital. I had to wear shoes so germs don't get in my feet, and the Mask so the germs don't crawl into my mouth and nose.

* * *

 _I SEE PANCAKES AND STAIRS AND BIRDS._

I had to get shots in my arms so germs can't kill me from the inside. They hurt a lot and now more blood has come out of me. Ma was holding me still the whole time so I wouldn't move and the Doctor wouldn't poke me more. Nurse said I could have a Lollipop, that I've never had for real. I picked green first but it tasted gross. She said I could have another and said orange was her favorite. Orange was good.

* * *

 _I SEE WINDOWS AND TINY LITTLE CARS._

Me and Ma played on the hospital bed. She would press buttons to make it go up and down, making me wobbly! We laughed so much.

* * *

 _I SEE CLOUDS, AND POLICE AND DOCTORS. AND GRANDMA AND GRANDPA_.

We got to go outside the Hospital to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa. Ma said they had to go back to the hammock house to take care of Great Grandma, but we will join them soon and Great Grandma is so excited to see me. It was really cold outside. We had to wear big winter coats, even though it's Spring, and heavy shoes to keep our feet from getting cold. I wore a Hat to cover my ears and head, and gloves to warm my hands. And the sunglasses so my eyes won't hurt so much. I still had to wear Mask, but my breath made it all warm when i was jumping in this white stuff called snow! Ma showed me how to make a snowball and we had our first Snowball fight!

* * *

 _I'VE SEEN PERSONS WITH DIFFERENT FACES AND BIGNESS AND SMELLS, TALKING ALL TOGETHER_.

When persons come to talk to Ma, they put things called 'Headphones' over my ears and they let me watch Dora on this big screen I can hold in my hands called a 'Tablet'.

They want me to watch Dora, but I just watch Ma talk. Even if I can't hear her.

* * *

 _THE WORLD IS LIKE ALL TV PLANETS BUT AT THE SAME TIME. SO I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO LOOK AND LISTEN_.

Me and Ma are watching the TV. Ma says this channel is called the News. It tells you what's going on in the world. On the TV it says, 'BREAKING: VLAD MASTERS FOUND DEAD. MANSON CASE IS AT STANDSTILL.'

And the TV Lady is talking.

" _I've just confirmed that the body recovered late Monday evening is former Mayor, Vlad Masters. Who was being prosecuted for multiple offences against Samantha Manson. The young girl- kidnapped and presumed dead after years of searching- was found Sunday night. Her hero; her own son. A brave young boy who saved her from her captor. The police have ruled Vlad Master's death a suicide..._ "

The phone starts ringing. Ma told me the big plastic thing she talks into is called a phone. You use it to talk to someone who's too far.

Ma picks up the phone and the water goes down her face a lot.

"I just want to go home..." She cries and cries. I just hold her hand.

* * *

 _THERE'S DOORS AND MORE DOORS. AND BEHIND ALL THE DOORS, THERE'S ANOTHER INSIDE. AND ANOTHER OUTSIDE. AND THINGS HAPPEN, HAPPEN AND HAPPEN! IT NEVER STOPS!_

We get to go home today. But not Room. Room isn't a home. There's lots of persons going in and out of our hospital bedroom. Packing suitcases. Me and Ma get dressed in our heavy clothes again. Grandma and Grandpa are here to help us. We rush out of our hospital bedroom and down to the 'Lobby'. Doctor Voss is walking with us, and persons who Ma says are detectives and bodyguards so we don't get hurt. I ask her how we'd get hurt, but she doesn't hear cause everyone is talking so loud at Ma.

When we get to the outside there's a huge black car with the doors open. Ma picks me up and puts me inside. She gets in too and shuts the doors. I can feel the car zoom under me. Like Truck.

* * *

 _PLUS, THE WORLD IS ALWAYS CHANGING BRIGHTNESS AND HOTNESS. AND THERE'S INVISIBLE GERMS FLOATING EVERYWHERE!_

Ma takes off my Mask and Sunglasses. The brightness hurts my eyes for a bit but then I can see again. Out the window everything is moving so fast. There's colors and streets and building and sometimes people.

* * *

 _WHEN I WAS SMALL. I ONLY KNEW SMALL THINGS. NOW THAT I'M FIVE. I KNOW EVERYTHING._

Ma grabs my hand and says I can take a nap. It's going to be a long drive home. I lay my head in her lap. My eyes shut and I switch off.

* * *

 _ **[**_ **A/N: welll it's been awhile lol. sorry. I've been doing these chapters as one whole day, but this one is kind of a series of days until they finally get to go on their way back to Sam's house. Yes there will be reunions soon! And of course Sam's parents would be overjoyed to see her after she's been gone for 6 years. thank you guys for your reviews :) until next time!]**


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